Baseball game apparatus



119340 c. L. HARRISON 1,965,101

BASEBALL GAME APPARATUS Filed Oct. 5, 1932 F if 4LK/(V6/INVLENTOR fi m 23% m l atented July 3, I934 UNlTED STATES PATENT ()FFICE Application October 5,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an indoor game board, and, while it is constructed in such manner that it may be used for playing different games, the main object is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive apparatus whereby the essential plays of the game of base ball may be carried out in an interesting and instructive manner, either individually or alternately and competitively by two or more players.

One of the specific objects is to provide a light and easily portable field plate with a fiat quadrilateral runway along which the ball is adapted to be rolled by tilting manipulation of the plate and also to provide each corner of the runway 1.5 with an outwardly arched deflecting wall whereby the passage of the ball along one side will be automatically deflected along the next succeeding side of the runway providing the plate is properly manipulated.

Another object is to provide the plate with a branch runway for initially directing the ball thereon against one of the corner deflectors so that by properly tilting the plate the ball will be caused to travel entirely around the runway to be successively deflected at each c rner un il it passes the first deflector and thus completes what may be termed a home run.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure .1 is a perspective view of the container for my improved base ball game apparatus showing the cover of the container as provided with the diagram of a checker board, which, when removed, may be used as such independently of the players for the ball game.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the box proper in which the bottom of the box serves as a base ball field plate upon which is mounted a quadrilateral frame having a con.- tinuous runway around its four sides and cor.-

ners and suitable deflectors at the corners for :successively deflecting the ball from the corners along the sides of the runway.

Figure 3 is a further enlarged sectional view taken in the plane of line 3-3, Figure 2.

As illustrated, this game apparatus comprises a'substantially rectangular square box-like structure 1 having a removable cover orlid 2, and a quadrilateral, approximately square, frame 3 adhesively or otherwise secured to the upper surface of the bottom of the box in raised relation thereto and also in spaced relation to the marginal edges of the box to represent, in miniature,

' an actual base ball field.

The box 1 is also adapted to receive and retain therein one or more, in this instance four, balls at to be used in individual or competitive plays,

. the number of balls in use at one time being pref- 1932, Serial No. 636,355

erably limited to the number of bases for a purpose hereinafter described.

The bottom of the box constitutes what may be termed a field plate 4 extending some distance beyond the outer edges of the frame 3 and is provided with a raised marginal flange 4' extending entirely around the frame to prevent displacement of the ball from the field plate during the play.

The lid 2 is also provided with a marginal flange 2 adapted to telescope with the box flange 4 when placed in operative position to confine the balls within the box, the upper face of the lid being provided with a checkerboard design to enable it to be used by other players for playing other games when the base ball game is in progress.

The box 1 and its lid 2 are preferably made of stifi paper cardboard or equivalent light and comparatively inexpensive material so that when assembled with the frame 3, and ball a therein, the entire apparatus will be relatively shallow and flat to enable it to be easily handled and stored in relatively small space.

The frame 3 maybe made of laminated wood or molded from any suitable plastic material to enable it to retain its form without warping and preferably comprises the four side members 5, I 6, 7 and 8, of uniform width and thickness, ar-

ranged about a common center or axis and close=- ly united at the corners to form a substantially rectangular structure.

The four corners of the quadrilateral frame 3 are provided with outwardly projecting circular extensions 9, 1O, 11 and 12 of the same thickness as the sides to form continuations thereof, the

corners adjacent the extensions representing respectively the home base, and the first, second and third bases on the field plate 4 while the extension 9 represents what may be termed the catchers b x The upper surfaces of the side members 5, 6, 7 and 8 and corner extensions 9, 10, 11 and 12 are disposed in a flat plane parallel with the upper surface of the field plate 4 to form runways from base to base and a continuous runway from the home base around the remaining bases and return, the side member 8 being continued across the inner side of the extension 9 to allow the ball to drop therefrom onto adjacent portions of the field plate to represent a home run of the ball.

The frame 4 is also provided with a branch member 13 projecting inwardly and diagonally from the home base corner adjacent the extension 9 and of about the same width and thickness as the side members so that its upper face will be disposed in the same plane as the side members to form a branch runway for the ball, the inner end of which is provided with a raised V- shaped pocket 14 having its open side facing the adjacent corner of the frame to form what may be termed the pitchers box from which the ball is started in playing the game. It will be observed upon reference to Figure 2 that the circular extensions 9, 1G, 11, and 12 project outwardly from the corresponding ends of the ad jacent runways in diagonal relation thereto or rather in radial relation to the common center of the frame and that the centers of these extensions are arranged approximately at the points of intersection of the outer edges of the adjacent runways to form continuations thereof.

The outer marginal edges of these extensions are provided with raised circular flanges or deflectors 15, 16, 1'7, and 18 concentric with their respective centers but open at their inner sides facing the center of the frame for successively deflecting the ball around the centers of the corresponding extensions from each runway to the next succeeding runway when the board is properly manipulated.

The extensions 9, 10, 11 and 12 are provided, respectively with relatively small concave depressions or pockets 19, 2O, 21 and 22 located at their respective centers and into which the ball or balls may lodge during the play to represent a man or men on the corresponding base or bases, said pockets being also located at the centers of and in spaced relation to their respective deflector flanges 15, 16, 1'7, and 18 to form continuations of their respective runways around the corresponding pockets, as shown in Figure 2.

These deflector flanges are, therefore, concentric with their respective pockets 19, 20, 21, and 22 and of greater diameter than the transverse width of the runways while the openings in the inner sides of the deflectors 16, 17, and

I 18 are preferably of about the same width as the runways and are arranged so that the inner edges of the adjacent runways will be substantially tangential to the ends of said deflectors, thereby causing the ball to describe a loop in transit from each runway to the next succeeding runway, as shown by the arrows in Figure 2, indicating the path of movement of the ball along the several runways.

The open side of the deflector flange 15 faces the adjacent runways l3 and 5 and is located at the outside of the runway 8 to allow the ball to pass the same across the intersection of the runways 8, 13 and 5 to complete a home-run play and also to cause the ball to describe a loop in passing from the runway 13 onto the runway 5, as shown by the arrows in Figure 2, it being understood that the other deflector flanges 16, 17 and 18 are also located outside of the intersections of the adjacent runways 5, 6, 7 and 8, Figure 2.

Operation The game may be played by opposing teams in a manner quite similar to the real game in that the players of both teams alternate in plays throughout the usual nine innings, more or less, for each team as may be agreed upon, and that the credits or scores are based upon home runs only.

When playing the game, a ball is placed in the pitchers pocket 14 and the player then takes the box 1 in both hands and endeavors to tilt the same to different positions from a horizontal in such manner as to cause the ball to roll under its own gravity from the pocket 14 along the branch runway 13 onto the extension 9 and against the deflector 15 to be deflected thereby along the runway 5 onto the extension 10 and against the deflector 16 and thence successively along the runways 6, deflector 1'7, runway 7, deflector 18 and runway 8 to discharge from the end of the latter to complete the home run of the ball.

That is, as soon as the ball leaves the pitchers box it is in play and if, by proper tilting manipulation of the apparatus, it continues to roll along, upon and around the four sides of the runway including the corner extensions, it scores a home run for the team to which the player belongs and allows the same member or other members of the same team to continue the play.

If, however, the ball should roll ofi from either side of the runways 13, 6 or 8, or to the inside of the runway 5, or to the outside of the runway 7, the player will be out. Or, if the ball should roll off from the runway before reaching the home base it may be considered as a strike and if repeated three times by the same player it will be counted as one out and three outs by the same player end one-half of the inning. The board is then turned over to the opposing team to begin the play for the other half inning, these plays being alternately continued for as many innings as may be agreed upon.

Should the ball lodge in any one of the pockets 20, 21 and 22, the ball remains safe. same player then starts over and if the player should make a home run, it also brings home the man on base for the score of two runs or if the bases are full it would score four runs. The same player continues playing until there has been three outs, and then gives the board to the opponent.

In case the ball should roll from the runway 7, to the infield while a ball is on a base, that is termed a double play. The runner and the one nearest the home plate are then out.

With these several possible plays for each team or player, it is evident that the game may become mutually interesting and instructive to the players and also to the spectators and when properly played affords beneficial training in physical poise.

What I claim is:

1. An indoor baseball game apparatus comprising a field plate having a raised quadrilateral runway along which the ball is adapted to roll through proper manipulation of the plate, each of three of the corners of the runway being provided with deflector means for causing the ball to describe a loop in transit from one side to the next succeeding side of the runway.

2. An indoor baseball game apparatus comprising a field plate having a raised quadrilateral runway along which the ball is adapted to roll through proper manipulation of the plate, each of three of the corners of the runway being provided with a ball-receiving pocket and a raised outwardly arched deflector concentric with its pocket and arranged to cause the ball to travel entirely around said pocket in transit from one side to the next succeeding side of the runway.

3. An indoor baseball game apparatus comprising in combination with a field plate having a quadrilateral runway along which the ball is adapted to roll through proper manipulation of the frame, said runway having each of three of its corners provided with means for causing the ball to describe a loop in transit from one side to the next succeeding side of the runway.

4. An indoor baseball game apparatus com- The prising a field plate having a raised quadrilateral runway along which the ball is adapted to roll through proper manipulation of the plate, each of three of the corners of the runway being provided with deflector means for causing the ball to describe a loop in transit from one side to the next succeeding side of the runway, the fourth corner of the runway having an inwardly extending diagonal branch and an outwardly arched deflector beyond the outer edge of the adjacent incoming side of the runway and having its inner side facing the branch open to receive the ball therefrom.

5. An indoor baseball game apparatus comprising a field plate having a raised quadrilateral runway along which the ball is adapted to roll through proper manipulation of the plate, each of three of the corners of the runway being provided with deflector means for causing the ball to describe a loop in transit from one side to the next succeeding side of the runway, the fourth corner of the runway having an inwardly extending diagonal branch and an outwardly arched deflector beyond the outer edge of the adjacent incoming side of the runway and having its inner side facing the branch open to receive the ball therefrom, the last-named deflector being arranged to cause the ball to describe a loop in transit from one to the other of the adjacent sides of the runway.

6. An indoor baseball game apparatus comprising a field plate having a raised quadrilateral runway along which the ball is adapted to roll through proper manipulation of the plate, each corner of the runway being provided with a raised outwardly arched deflector flange beyond the outer edges of the adjacent sides of the runway and having its inner side facing the adjacent sides of the runway open for the ingress and egress of the ball in transit from one to the other of said sides.

7. An indoor baseball game apparatus com prising a field plate having a raised quadrilateral runway along which the ball is adapted to roll through proper manipulation of the plate, each of three of the corners of the runway being provided with deflector means for causing the ball to describe a loop in transit from one side to the next succeeding side of the runway, the fourth corner of the runway having an inwardly extending diagonal branch and an outwardly arched deflector beyond the outer edge of the adjacent incoming side of the runway and having its inner side facing the branch open to receive the ball therefrom, the inner end of said branch being provided with a V-shaped pocket having its opposite sides divergent toward the corresponding deflector.

8. An indoor baseball game apparatus comprising in combination with a rectangular frame having a flat bottom plate and an upstanding marginal flange, a flat quadrilateral runway in spaced relation to the marginal flange and along which the ball is adapted to roll through proper manipulation of the frame, three of the corners of the runway being each provided with an outwardly projecting circular extension and a raised deflector flange concentric with the center of the extension, each deflector flange having an opening in its inner side, the ends of each flange being alined respectively with the adjacent runways whereby the ball will be caused to describe a loop in transit from one to the other of the adjacent sides of the runway.

CLARENCE L. HARRISON. 

